


A Suitable Change

by emmykay



Category: Ookiku Furikabutte | Big Windup!
Genre: Clothing, Fluff, Future Fic, Humor, M/M, Rare Pairings, Wedding Planning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-06
Updated: 2015-08-06
Packaged: 2018-04-12 06:21:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,511
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4468574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/emmykay/pseuds/emmykay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For the original Nishiura baseball team, it had been an interesting decade since they had left high school.  Hanai couldn't wait to talk to everybody about it at Mihashi's and Tajima's wedding.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Suitable Change

"It's going to be interesting," Suyama said, leaning up against the side of the closed door of the tailor's area of the wedding shop, looking every bit like a model for a casual men's wear magazine, late summer edition, in khaki shorts and teal polo shirt.

"What you do mean?" Hanai asked, his light slacks and button-down shirt creased from a full day of work. "Because Mihashi and Tajima are getting married?"

"I mean there's been a lot of changes since we graduated," Suyama said.

Hanai had to agree. For the original Nishiura baseball team, it had been an interesting decade since they had left high school. He couldn't wait to talk to everybody about it at Mihashi's and Tajima's wedding. Unlike other reunion events that had been talked about, it was virtually guaranteed that everybody was going to be there.

First, because wedding had been scheduled after the baseball season, during a holiday weekend. Second, it was in their home town, where nearly everyone except for Tajima and Mihashi had settled. Third, Tajima had laid down a barrage of charm. If Tajima's actions hadn't promised attendance, then a mildly worded, slightly anxious query from Mihashi brought forth the last of the reluctants. Then, finally, there had been Coach Momoe's follow-up against any possible second thoughts. Barring fire, flood or earthquake, everybody was going to be there.

"Nishihiro's in grad school, I'm a fireman, you're a high school teacher -" Suyama started to tick off all the current positions of their old teammates.

"Mihashi and Tajima are professional athletes, Mizutani and Izumi and Oki all work in offices, Abe's a contractor and Sakaeguchi's working in a daycare center - " 

"What do you think of them, living together?" Suyama asked.

"Abe and Sakaeguchi? They're not living together," Hanai said. "They're sharing a space."

"We share spaces," Suyama said.

"That's different - we're dating. We're supposed to be sharing spaces. We go over to each other's place a lot, but that's not _living together_."

"I don't know," Suyama said, speculatively. "There's something about them - "

"Hanai! Suyama!" called a slender, light-haired figure, a bookbag slung over one shoulder, jeans and plain light green t-shirt dotted with small smears of fingerpaint in a rainbow of colors. 

"Sakaeguchi!" Suyama called. Hanai waved. 

Sakaeguchi smiled, his expression slipping at the beep from his phone. "It's Abe," he said, quickly scanning the text. "He's going to be a little late."

"Abe, huh?" Suyama murmured. "I wonder what he'll pick out from the shop."

Hanai grimaced. "It'll be a nightmare. That guy."

"What do you think?" Suyama asked.

"Remember when he wore that weird textured sweater that looked like eggs?"

"Or those pink pants?" Hanai asked.

Sakaeguchi giggled. "Abe said they were Nantucket red."

"Nantucket red. Marketing for guys who don't want to admit they're wearing pink." Hanai looked a little disgusted.

"I like pink," Suyama commented.

"Yeah, but you say it's pink." Hanai snorted. "Nantucket red. Whatever."

"I hope it's not jorts," Sakaeguchi said.

Suyama's handsome, lean face twitched nervously. "Jorts."

Hanai looked at Suyama. "That's what makes you upset? Jorts?"

Suyama burst out, "Jorts are bad!" He turned to Sakaeguchi. "You live with the guy, you can't give him clues?"

Turning pink under scrutiny, Sakaeguchi protested, "We're housemates, not like 'living together!' We're not dating! And we don't share clothes. Anyway, you think he'd take my advice?"

"If not you, then nobody," Suyama said.

"Oi!" 

The trio turned to the subject of their discussion.

"Sorry, I had to clean up after work." Abe's damp hair was proof of the truth of that. 

Suyama gave a pained smile, Hanai snorted, Sakaeguchi stifled a laugh. Abe Takaya looked at them, plainly wondering what was wrong with his old teammates. "What."

Hanai looked from Abe's puke-brown and lime green plaid shirt with the sleeves ripped off, purple and green bike shorts visible under very short orange cut-off sweats, neon yellow and white striped sport tube socks pulled all the way up to the knee, black plastic sandals and over to Sakaeguchi. Who looked like he might have an aneurysm he was trying not to laugh so hard. Then back to Abe's irritated expression.

Sakaeguchi said, gently, "Abe. Nice socks."

"Out of everything going on with that outfit, you care about the socks?" Hanai erupted.

"After a lifetime of wearing a baseball uniform and stirrups, I can't not wear socks pulled up anymore!" Abe declared. "You guys can?"

Suyama looked as if the question were crazy. "It's just socks, Abe. You're an adult now. You can buy other kinds, you know."

"What about the rest of it?" Hanai asked.

Diplomatically, Sakaeguchi said, "The cut-offs and the bike shorts are an interesting combination."

"They're comfy," Abe declared.

Suyama stated, "They're terrible."

Abe said, "They fit. You don't have catcher's ass, you don't get it."

Grinning, Suyama asked, "You think my ass is flat? Geez, Abe, after almost fifteen years of friendship, that's what I get?" 

Hanai blinked. "You're talking about Suyama's ass? In front of me?"

Abe pressed his lips together. "Look, I know you guys are dating now, but I don't look at Suyama like - "

Suyama turned to Hanai. "Is my ass flat?"

"Absolutely not," Hanai said, swiftly.

Abe sighed. "I just said I have catcher's ass."

Sakaeguchi snickered, irrepressible. "The better to catch your ass." He peeked up at Abe, who blushed a bright red.

"Boom," Suyama whispered to Hanai.

In front of them, Sakaeguchi was holding his hands, palm out, towards Abe, apologizing profusely. "I didn't mean it," he said to Abe. "It was a slip of the tongue."

"You guys should be glad I showered," Abe muttered. 

"We are, we are," Hanai muttered back.

Behind them, the doors of the store opened. "Hey!" called the tall, blond tailor.

"Hamada!" Sakaeguchi smiled. "Thank you for letting us impose on you." 

"For my friends, I can stay a little late." 

The four friends browsed the menswear section while Hamada set up his tools. Sakaeguchi settled on a simple navy, Hanai on a medium grey. Suyama picked out a medium brown with a chocolate windowpane check, pairing it with a yellow tie.

"Wow. Sharp," Sakaeguchi commented, eyes widening.

Hanai nodded. That was _his_ man, all right.

Abe approached, holding onto a hanger of a black suit with an electric blue lining that wrapped around into the collar. Sakaeguchi held a hand in front of his mouth.

"No," Hanai said. 

Hamada looked up. He looked instantly concerned. "That was an extra from an Elvis Presley fanclub event. I don't think you should."

Sakaeguchi burst into peals of laughter.

Holding out his second option, a solid black suit and a black tie, Abe said, "I guess this."

"Oh, no," Hanai said. "You looking for a job as an undertaker? You can't wear that to a daytime wedding."

After a moment, Abe came back with a white sharkskin suit with bold black pinstripes.

"You thinking about joining the yakuza now?" Suyama asked.

Throwing up his arms, Abe asked, "How do you guys know this?"

Suyama blinked. "How do you not?"

Abe grimaced. "Just. Tell me."

Sakaeguchi and Suyama went through a variety of choices, finally pulling out a plain charcoal jacket and a matching set of plain-fronted trousers.

"Good." Abe hung it on the rank next to the cash register. "Done."

"Oh, no," Hamada said, taking it and Abe to the three-way mirror in the back. After measuring and discussing preferences as to where Abe liked the break in his pant leg (Hamada decided) without cuffs (Suyama decided), that the pants needed to be nipped in at the waist and let out at the hip to accommodate Abe's generous assets (Sakaeguchi grinned but didn't say anything), the sleeves hemmed. Everything would be ready at the end of the month, a few weeks before the suits would be needed. 

"That's it, right?" Abe said.

"Oh, no," Hanai said. "You need a good white shirt, a tie that's not sloppy, a v-neck undershirt - "

Suyama suited Hanai's words to actions, adding packet after packet to the counter. "Yeah," Suyama said, "Especially about the undershirt. I hate seeing that bit of crewneck under a nice suit. Sloppy."

"And that's it?" Abe asked.

"Brown shoes," Suyama stressed. "Not black." Then he frowned. "Absolutely no sneakers. Not even dark ones."

"I know that," Abe snapped.

"Just checking," Suyama said, genially.

"That it?" Abe asked again.

They turned to see Sakaeguchi throwing a pack of dark dress socks onto the growing pile.

"Really?" Abe asked.

"Really."

"Really?"

" _Really._ " Sakaeguchi said, "You're going to look great." Then he reached up and removed a small piece of lint from Abe's shirt. "Better." He smiled up at Abe's face.

Abe wilted into compliance. "Okay."

"Boom. Boom," Suyama whispered into Hanai's ear.

* * *

The ceremony, for all the reunion aspect of it, was a small one. The name and location of the modern chapel had been kept a tight secret by all involved. 

Hanai and Suyama and Sakaeguchi and Abe all went in their best. Oki, in a neutral camel-colored suit, was pleased to see everyone, and further pleased to talk about his girlfriend, a quiet beauty who he had met at work. Nishihiro was in a slightly too-big houndstooth jacket, which he freely admitted he had borrowed from a roommate. Izumi and Mizutani had arrived together. Izumi was in a plain dark grey suit. Sakaeguchi looked pointedly at Mizutani, who appeared in a dark jacket with an electric blue silk lining, visible in the shawl collar. Hanai caught him mouthing "Elvis Presley fanclub" to Suyama, who was short of convulsing.

Hamada was there with his wife, a former Nishiura cheer girl, and their toddler girl, who latched onto Sakaeguchi like an leech. Chiyo had brought her husband and their infant boy. Momoe was there with her father, both freshly out of having brought Nishiura to the prefectural finals this summer.

Mihashi and Tajima both wore white. 

It was a very emotional wedding, and nearly everyone had tears in their eyes after. After the officiant announced their union, Tajima turned to the guests and grinned. He raised his and Mihashi's joined hands, golden rings glinting upon their fingers, and declared, "We finally did it!"

Mihashi turned the color of a tomato.

Everyone else erupted into cheers.

The reception was smaller still, in a privately rented restaurant. Close, longtime friends and family only. When the dances opened, Hanai watched Mihashi and Tajima partner each other like they were made for each other. They were lost to each other, smiling and whispering to each other like they were in their own special world. 

Suyama held out his arm and Hanai joined him, pulled into a easy, slow-paced ballad. Suyama's arms circled him, so warm and comforting, Hanai never wanted to leave. He let himself relax against Suyama's wide chest, pressed his cheek against Suyama's, and felt both their bodies begin to breathe in rhythm with the swaying of their steps.

Suyama nudged Hanai when they saw Sakaeguchi and Abe laughing together at their table. Many dances later, it was Hanai's turn to do the nudging when Abe walked out with Sakaeguchi at the end of the evening.

"Boom?"

Suyama smiled. "Boom, boom, _boom_."

* * *

When Hanai and Suyama returned to Hanai's small apartment in an older, quirky building late that night, Hanai couldn't help but laugh. "It's so funny," Hanai said. "You heard Sakaeguchi slipping and calling Abe 'Taka,' right?"

Suyama was unusually quiet, frowning as he hung up his suit jacket on the narrow portion of the small closet he had claimed last year. 

"What's the matter?" Hanai asked, his tone soft.

"I was wondering. How are you? Tonight?"

"I'm okay. Why?" 

"No - no reason."

Hanai paused in slipping off his shirt. "You don't go for that with me. You always have a reason."

After fidgeting with his buttons, Suyama asked, "With Tajima married now, how do you feel?"

"I'm really happy for him. Mihashi and he have always had a special connection, and they've always done stuff together. Why?"

Suyama suddenly looked very young. "I remember in high school - you guys - "

"Shouji," Hanai said, deliberately. "That was over a long time ago. Tajima will always be a friend, and always a part of both of our memories, but he's not you. You can't think I still feel the same, do you?"

"I know. I just. I've never asked you."

Softly, Hanai asked, "What about Sakaeguchi?"

"We were only ever friends, you know."

"Good friends?"

"Good friends." Suyama looked at Hanai, as if trying to communicate the depth of his sincerity. "But there was never anything to tell you about that. If Sakaeguchi and Abe have started something, well, they've known each other longer than they've known any of us. And anyway, that's Sakaeguchi's problem. Nothing to do with me, really."

"Nothing else?"

"Nothing else. I mean, I'm happy if they're happy, but that's it. After all this time, I wouldn't change a thing. I chose you a long time ago."

Hanai sighed as he sat down on the edge of the bed, relieved. "Good."

Suyama said, "I was also thinking. It might be a good time."

"Time for what?"

"Think more seriously about a change between us."

"What do you mean?" Hanai scanned his memory for any alteration of Suyama's behavior over the past few months. Suyama hadn't said anything to indicate any unhappiness. In fact, it was the opposite. Of course, Suyama wasn't the kind to complain at every little thing.

"Aren't you unsatisfied with the way things are between us?"

"What - ?" Hanai felt himself pale. Defensively. "Not at all."

"I - I - think we should move in together."

Hanai exhaled in relief. "Oh. I'm glad it was that and not - not - "

"What could you have thought?" Suyama's eyes opened wide. "No - no, I wouldn't. Hanai, I'm really happy with you. Aren't you happy?"

Hanai nodded. "I'm really happy. With you. Anything else would have been a surprise." Then he looked at Suyama in surprise. "What brought this about? The wedding?"

"No - not really. I mean, a little bit, but it's also been on my mind a while. My roommate is going to be moving out, and your lease is about to end, and it's just a good time. I think we should live together a little before we get married."

"I agree," Hanai said, and then jerked upward in shock. "You want to get married?"

"Of course I do."

"To me?"

"You're the person I'm dating, right?" Suyama asked, chuckling.

"I'm just checking," Hanai replied, sitting back down. 

With a touch of nervousness, Suyama asked, "You do want to get married, don't you? To me?"

"Of course, I do. Want to marry you." Hanai flushed. "It's not like there's anybody else!"

"Good," Suyama smiled. "Then it's settled." He sat down next to Hanai and reached for Hanai's hand. 

Hanai gripped Suyama's hand, smiling back, feeling like a piece of himself had indeed set down right into the place it belonged. "Good."

It was going to be another interesting decade for the original Nishiura baseball team. Hanai just knew it.

**Author's Note:**

> Weddings in chapels like this tend not to have much little legal standing and no religious connotations. Mihashi had Tajima put onto his family registry earlier that week. The wedding was a kind of debut of their life as a married couple to their loved ones.
> 
> This whole idea came up in a [ twitter convo ](https://twitter.com/plasticcracked/status/623332375267663872) with plasticcracked, who kindly allowed me to throw my hat in at the last minute.
> 
> I'm so glad you did.


End file.
